Crutch



25, 1945. J w c 2,391,717

CRUTCH Original Filed Nov. 5, 1941 Patented Dec. 25, 1945 2,391,717 CRUTCH Harold J. Lawrence. Milwaukea'Wis, ,assignor to The Liebel-Flarsheim Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application November 5, 1941, Serial No.

417,931, now Patent No. 2,366,972, dated-January 9, 1945. Divided and thisapplication February 16,.1943, Serial No.;476,100

This invention relates to surgical and diagnostic tables and is directed particularly to the crutch devices which are located at opposite sides of the table and usually at one end thereof for supporting a patients lower limbs.

Inthe use of devices of this-type, the patient is placed upon the table and with his legsarranged; so that the crutches lie beneath the knees. ihe position, though necessary, is uncomfortable at best, and the primary objective of the present invention is to provide crutches capable of supporting the atients legs in the desired position, yet with the least discomfort.

A further object of the invention has been to provide crutches constructed in the form of trough-shaped members which are pivotally suspended so that the patients lower legs may swing to avoid cramped muscles.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 417,931, filed November 5, 1941, which has matured into Patent No. 2,366,972, granted January 9, 1945, and which discloses adjustable apparatus for supporting the crutches of the present invention such that the crutches may be moved about to accommodate persons of different sizes in different postures on the table and to provide the utmost convenience to the doctor or diagnostician who is using the apparatus.

While the present crutches are specifically suited to be used in conjunction with the adjustable apparatus shown in the aforesaid application, they may also be used in conjunction with supporting apparatus of other types.

Briefly, the present invention is based upon the concept of pivotally suspending the crutches in cradles or yokes, such that the center of gravity of the unit, particularly when a limb is rested in it, lies substantially below the pivotal suspension point or axis. I have determined that this construction provides the utmost degree of comfort for the patient and supports and holds the limbs securely in the desired position.

In the preferred embodiment, the actual crutch supports are trough-shaped elements arranged in the form of an inverted V, one trough-shaped face of the V declining toward the patients body to support the thigh, and the other face declining away from the body to support the foreleg, while the knee is rested at the apex of the trough.

A U-shaped fork or bifurcated member has its arms extending upwardly at opposite sides of the crutch and the crutch is pivotally suspended in the arms on an axis which is located above the apex of the crutch trough to provide a truecradle effect. The fork member, in turn, is anranged to be rotatably mounted on a supporting arm or other member whereby the fork and crutch assembly may-swing in a horizontal plane. I have further determined that additional comfort is provided by arranging the axis of rotation of the fork onan axis diverging outwardly from. verticalso that it tends to line substantially in the plane passing through the thigh and foreleg of a patient who is lying on the table in the desired posture. 1

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the crutches of the present invention mounted upon supports extendingfrom a typical operating or diagnostic table.

Figure 2 is aside elevation showing the-crutch and cradle unit of the present invention mounted on a supporting apparatus of the type shown in the aforesaid copending application.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional elevation taken on line 33, Figure 2.

In the apparatus shown in the drawing, the trough-shaped element, or crutch per se, is designated l and the yoke in which the crutch is supported is designated 2. Each crutch I is a trough-shaped unit having opposite portions 3-3 diverging outwardly and downwardly from an apex 5 which is located substantially centrally intermediate the crutch ends. The outward faces of the crutch are flared slightly as at 1 and 8 so as to avoid having the terminal edges cut into the flesh.

As shown best in Figure 3, the trough of the crutch is substantially semi-circular such that the surface of it will conform substantially to the contour of the patients limbs.

The walls of the crutch extend upwardly beyond the apex 5 of the trough and are bored as at 9, or, otherwise, provided with bosses, to constitute a pivotal axis for the crutch which is lo cated well above the apex 5.

Yoke member 2 consists preferably of a pair of arms 4-4 which are spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the trough Width. These arms extend repsectively up along the side walls of the crutch I and are joined together at the bottom ends by a cross portion Iii; with it they constitute a yoke or cradle. To pivotally carry the crutch, as shown in the drawing, the cradle arms 4- are bored to receive stud bolts ll. These bolts pass through appropriate sleeves I! located in the cradle arms 44 which constitute bearings for the stud bolts. The inner edges of the sleeves extend beyond the edges of the cradle arms so as to space the crutch therefrom, and reinforcement members I3 which surround the bores 9 in th crutch walls are riveted thereto by means of rivets [4. The stud bolts II are threaded through the reinforcing members and crutch walls so that the crutch is suitably suspended in the cradle and yet is free to swing.

At a point in the cross piece I intermediate the side arms 4-4, the cross portion I0 of the yoke is bored to receive a sleeve I5. This sleeve preferably is flush with the bottom surface of the cross portion In and extends above the upper surface thereof. A pair of washers I6, having a rubber washer member I1 placed beneath them, rests on the upper surface of the sleeve I5 beneath the head of a bolt I 8 which extends down through the sleeve I5 into a saddle block I9. The bolt thus constitutes an axle about which the crutch and yoke assembly may swing or rotate to accommodate itself to the patients leg positions.

In the preferred structure, as shown in the copending application, the saddle I9 may be slid along an arm 20 which is supported from the .table, thereby enabling the crutch to be located at the best position for a person of given size or height.

It is to be noted that the axis of the bolt I8 is inclined outwardly and upwardly with respect to the table so that the central axis through the trough deviates outwardly from the table surface. This angulation enables the crutches to conform substantially to the crock of the patients leg and foreleg. The crutches are free to swing in the yoke and the yoke, in turn, is free to move pivotally in a substantially horizontal axis about the saddle block. It is to be seen, therefore, that the crutch naturally assumes th position of the patients limbs and does not tend to bind them in an arbitrary or predetermined position.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A limb supporting device for an operating and diagnosticians table comprising a saddle having an aperture presenting at least one flat face adapted to receive a supporting bar, and also presenting a supporting face above said flat face and inclined with respect to the flat face of said aperture, a fork rotatably joumalled at the inclined face of said saddle and having a pair of arms extending therefrom in spaced relationship, and a trough-shaped member for supporting a patients limb, said trough-shaped member being movably suspended in said fork.

2. A limb supporting device for an operating and diagnosticians table comprising a saddle having an aperture therethrough which has at least one flat face, a fork rotatably journalled on said saddle on an axis which is inclined with respect to said flat face, said fork having a pair of arms extending upwardly therefrom, and a trough-shaped member for supporting a patients limb, said trough-shaped member being suspended between said pair of arms.

3. A limb supporting device for an operating and diagnosticians table comprising a saddle adapted to be mounted upon a supporting arm, a yoke rotatably journalled on said saddle and having arms extending therefrom in spaced relationship to one another, and a cradle suspended between said arms and arranged for supporting a patients limb, the axis of suspension of said cradle being located on an axis substantially above the limb supporting surface thereof, such thatthe center of gravity of the cradle resides substantially below its axis of suspension.

HAROLD J. LAWRENCE. 

